The Spruce Grove Saints will look to a strong group of leaders to keep their winning culture alive this season.

A total of 14 players from the 2018-19 Saints are expected to be on the roster when the puck drops on the 2019-20 Alberta Junior Hockey League Season. Many are third year players who claimed the AJHL title two seasons ago before falling in the league final to the Brooks Bandits this past April.

“As a young guy coming in last year, we had great leaders in guys like T.J. Lloyd and Parker Saretsky. They really helped me and paved the way for me,” said forward Nick Leyer. “I want to do the same thing. I think that winning culture gets passed down from year-to-year. That’s something we take pride in and want to get going early.”

Cameron Chin, Ryan Harker and Jaxsen Wyatt join the returnees from the back-end at camp, and will want to help guide a new look defence in the absence of former captain Lloyd and Cory Babichuk. Lloyd and Babichuk were a big part of the team’s identity last season, and both have moved on to play university hockey in the National Colleges Athletic Association.

“We have a large leadership group. Even though every guy in our room is a leader, it’s good to have a good group of vets to show the younger guys how to play in this league, and the speed at which you have to play,” said Chin.

Forwards Jordan Biro and Cam Mitchell and goaltender Matthew Davis will play key roles with the Saints when they return home from the Junior Club World Cup in Sochi, Russia, from Aug. 23-31.

Biro picked up 33 (11G-22A-35) points in 55 games in the regular season, while Mitchell added 35 points (15-20-35) in 40 games. Both were instrumental throughout the team’s playoff run. Davis was the Saints’ number one goaltender for the majority of the season. He went 26-7-2 over 35 games and posted a 2.03 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. He started all of the Saints playoff games.

“We want to set the example for the newcomers. That kind of provides them with an easier path to settle in and get out of their comfort zone,” said MacGregor. “I’m obviously looking to chip in offensively, being a third-year guy, but I want to be a role model for the younger guys.”

The Saints pride themselves on being a group that works hard for each other, on, and off the ice. Both iterations of the team over the past two seasons have boasted the identity of a team relentless in their puck pursuit, and overwhelming team defence.

There will be new faces in the locker room when the puck drops for game one, and likely more to come throughout the year. Those players will not be stepping into a team without an identity.

With upwards of 14 players on the roster that know what it takes to win games in a Saints uniform, this year’s team is anything but inexperienced.

“A lot of our older guys are leading the young guys, and the young guys are coming in hot,” said forward Seth Fyten. “It’s everybody’s job to be a leader on this team. Every game and practice we have, and in everything we do, we need to set a high standard for each other, and put in the work to get the job done.”